Teacher shortages in high-poverty schools
February 3, 2023There is no way one can put a price on the value of a child’s education. Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.” Dr. King’s words remind us that we must fix the root causes behind […]
Milestones show us where we’ve come from, where we need to go
January 26, 2023Two things happened last week — one public, the other personal — that made me reflect on how far we’ve come as a nation, how we got here, and what it will take to keep that journey moving forward. Maryland, my home state, inaugurated its first Black governor, Wes Moore. It’s a description I thought […]
A new tribute to Dr. and Mrs. King
January 19, 2023To celebrate the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, the city of Boston has a very special gift: a new memorial was unveiled January 13 in Boston Common, the beautiful public park at the city’s center, honoring Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King. The 22-foot-tall bronze sculpture anchoring the memorial, “The […]
Being the first
January 13, 2023Being the first is a solemn responsibility. I would know as the first Black woman elected to the Greensboro City School Board, and as the first Black woman to represent Charlotte and the Piedmont in Congress. When you’re the first woman, first African American, or the first of any group in a prestigious role, you […]
Ready for our Earth shot
January 6, 2023As we greet 2023, I’m feeling more than the typical seasonal optimism. America is primed once again for a historic achievement, call it our “Earth shot.” In the 1960s and early 1970s, the United States spent the current dollar equivalent of just under $300 billion on “landing a man on the moon and returning him […]
COVID-19’s targeted federal aid led to more Black and Latino homeowners
December 30, 2022In a year fraught with financial challenges, going home for the holidays will have heightened significance this year for many Black and Latino families. New research findings reveal that between 2019 and 2021, a period that included COVID-19 pandemic assistance programs, homeownership among Black and Latino families increased. The increase was due in part to […]
Reaffirming solidarity between Blacks and Jews in America
December 23, 2022I will not be silent on the issues of racial hatred, violence and prejudice. I am speaking out publicly in support of the recent call by billionaire African American business leader and philanthropist, Robert F. Smith, to stand up against the resurgence of racism and antisemitism in America. Blacks and Jews in the United States […]
Journalism bill leaves small, minority-owned news out in the cold
December 15, 2022In September, lawmakers in Washington rushed through major legislation that would reward massive, legacy media corporations at the expense of smaller community-focused and minority-owned newspapers. While the Journalism Competition Preservation Act (JCPA) is meant to protect publications like those in the National Newspaper Publishers Association, it would ultimately threaten our ability to inform our communities, […]
Why the pundits and junk polls got the midterm elections wrong
December 9, 2022I am angry at the chorus of armchair pundits who created a dominant media narrative around the red wave with little evidence of it. I’m furious about that because for those of us who do the work on the ground to persuade [people] to vote, it was actually a challenging narrative environment when voters and […]
How can we influence the courts that influence our lives?
December 2, 2022As I write this, the final few races are being called in the midterm elections that were held weeks ago. It’s clear that that the House will be closely divided, with Republicans holding a very small majority. History shows that in midterm elections, the party that doesn’t hold the presidency typically gains a lot of […]
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